You're wrong, anybody can consume marijuana and not feel effects. Plenty of people I know didn't feel anything for the first time they tried it.

You might not feel the effects but they still happen to your body. Marijuana use impairs a person's ability to form new memoriesand (I stress and because this is a second statement) to shift focus. THC also disrupts coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia—parts of the brain that regulate balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time. Therefore, learning, doing complicated tasks, participating in athletics, and driving are also affected.

Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart rate speeds up, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate—normally 70 to 80 beats per minute—may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, or may even double in some cases. Taking other drugs with marijuana can amplify this effect.

Evidence suggests that a person's risk of heart attack during the first hour after smoking marijuana is four times his or her usual risk. This observation could be partly explained by marijuana raising blood pressure (in some cases) and heart rate and reducing the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.

The smoke of marijuana, like that of tobacco, consists of a toxic mixture of gases and particulates, many of which are known to be harmful to the lungs. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, and a greater risk of lung infections. Even infrequent marijuana use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. One study found that extra sick days used by frequent marijuana smokers were often because of respiratory illnesses.

In addition, marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens—up to 70 percent more than tobacco smoke. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their cancer-causing form, which could accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. And since marijuana smokers generally inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, the lungs are exposed longer to carcinogenic smoke. However, while several lines of evidence have suggested that marijuana use may lead to lung cancer, the supporting evidence is inconclusive. The presence of an unidentified active ingredient in cannabis smoke having protective properties—if corroborated and properly characterized—could help explain the inconsistencies and modest findings.

On and on and on and on, seriously, stop smoking and worship the Lord your God with all your mind, not half of it.

There are ways to intake marijuana other than smoking it. No marijuana smoker denies the harmful effects of smoke on the lungs.

Allow me to make an attempt to clarify for those who do not understand where I am coming from. I have previously stated the difference between alcohol and marijuana is you can consume a certain amount of alcohol without feeling its affects or having those affects impair your motor and cognitive functions. As we all know, after that certain amount, you do feel its affect or have those affects impair your abilities. This is called drunkenness (or intoxication), which no one argues is a sin as it is explicitly called a sin within the Holy Scriptures.

Can the same be said for MJ? I say no. Why? Simple, I do not believe anyone can consume any amount which would not affect their physical or cognitive functions. If a person “could”, they would have to work very hard at it to make this the case, such as walking into a room with second hand smoke, suck it a very small amount, stop breathing and run out of the room and say, “Hey, look, I just breathed in some MJ and it didn’t do anything to me". Of course, this would be utterly ridiculous, but I know how some people think.

However, for the sake of discussion, let’s assume a miniscule portion of the human race can consume large amounts of this drug and experience absolutely nothing whatsoever. Now, again, for the sake of discussion, these folks have already consumed MJ, it did nothing for them, ask them if they would smoke MJ again. What do you think they would say? They would say no, because it did nothing for them. Sounds reasonable, yes? So, if it did nothing for them, no matter the amount consumed, what is the point of consuming it? There is none, so they would not. What does this tell you? It clearly shows people consume MJ for the result of its intoxicants, whether recreational or medicinal (yeah, right). So it would be fair to say people consume MJ for the intoxicants, yes? Otherwise, they would not consume it at all, especially in a recreational fashion. Now, if a person who is altered by the intoxicants of MJ ingests MJ, what happens? They get high, very quickly. Since this has been clarified, what is an intoxicated state? Drunkenness. Is Drunkenness sinful? Yes. This sort of puts an end to the question. Of course, there will always be someone, somewhere looking to punch holes into anything to justify the act of sin (porn is sex and sex is natural, people are “born” homosexual, recreational use of drugs calms people, there is no such thing as fornication, killing unborn babies is ok because they dont yet have a job, or some other nonsensical argument), but at the end of the day, wrong is wrong, sin is sin, and if you partake of a substance for the sake of feeling its intoxicants, i.e., to get high, it’s a sin.

One day, when folks don’t just physically grow up, but mentally and emotionally grow up, they will understand the arguments of their youth are filled with recklessness.

You're wrong, anybody can consume marijuana and not feel effects. Plenty of people I know didn't feel anything for the first time they tried it.

Then tell me, what was the point of consuming it if there were no effects. As I stated, if a person is consuming MJ, the purpose is to get high.

There are different levels of high. You can take 2 or 3 hits of a joint and have a similar effect to say, drinking 3 or 4 beers.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

You're wrong, anybody can consume marijuana and not feel effects. Plenty of people I know didn't feel anything for the first time they tried it.

You might not feel the effects but they still happen to your body. Marijuana use impairs a person's ability to form new memoriesand (I stress and because this is a second statement) to shift focus. THC also disrupts coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia—parts of the brain that regulate balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time. Therefore, learning, doing complicated tasks, participating in athletics, and driving are also affected.

Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart rate speeds up, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate—normally 70 to 80 beats per minute—may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, or may even double in some cases. Taking other drugs with marijuana can amplify this effect.

Evidence suggests that a person's risk of heart attack during the first hour after smoking marijuana is four times his or her usual risk. This observation could be partly explained by marijuana raising blood pressure (in some cases) and heart rate and reducing the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.

The smoke of marijuana, like that of tobacco, consists of a toxic mixture of gases and particulates, many of which are known to be harmful to the lungs. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, and a greater risk of lung infections. Even infrequent marijuana use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. One study found that extra sick days used by frequent marijuana smokers were often because of respiratory illnesses.

In addition, marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens—up to 70 percent more than tobacco smoke. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their cancer-causing form, which could accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. And since marijuana smokers generally inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, the lungs are exposed longer to carcinogenic smoke. However, while several lines of evidence have suggested that marijuana use may lead to lung cancer, the supporting evidence is inconclusive. The presence of an unidentified active ingredient in cannabis smoke having protective properties—if corroborated and properly characterized—could help explain the inconsistencies and modest findings.

On and on and on and on, seriously, stop smoking and worship the Lord your God with all your mind, not half of it.

There are ways to intake marijuana other than smoking it. No marijuana smoker denies the harmful effects of smoke on the lungs.

Which is why I stated "consumed". There is but one purpose of the recreational MJ user...getting high. This is no different than drunkeness, i.e., sin.

Allow me to make an attempt to clarify for those who do not understand where I am coming from. I have previously stated the difference between alcohol and marijuana is you can consume a certain amount of alcohol without feeling its affects or having those affects impair your motor and cognitive functions. As we all know, after that certain amount, you do feel its affect or have those affects impair your abilities. This is called drunkenness (or intoxication), which no one argues is a sin as it is explicitly called a sin within the Holy Scriptures.

Can the same be said for MJ? I say no. Why? Simple, I do not believe anyone can consume any amount which would not affect their physical or cognitive functions. If a person “could”, they would have to work very hard at it to make this the case, such as walking into a room with second hand smoke, suck it a very small amount, stop breathing and run out of the room and say, “Hey, look, I just breathed in some MJ and it didn’t do anything to me". Of course, this would be utterly ridiculous, but I know how some people think.

However, for the sake of discussion, let’s assume a miniscule portion of the human race can consume large amounts of this drug and experience absolutely nothing whatsoever. Now, again, for the sake of discussion, these folks have already consumed MJ, it did nothing for them, ask them if they would smoke MJ again. What do you think they would say? They would say no, because it did nothing for them. Sounds reasonable, yes? So, if it did nothing for them, no matter the amount consumed, what is the point of consuming it? There is none, so they would not. What does this tell you? It clearly shows people consume MJ for the result of its intoxicants, whether recreational or medicinal (yeah, right). So it would be fair to say people consume MJ for the intoxicants, yes? Otherwise, they would not consume it at all, especially in a recreational fashion. Now, if a person who is altered by the intoxicants of MJ ingests MJ, what happens? They get high, very quickly. Since this has been clarified, what is an intoxicated state? Drunkenness. Is Drunkenness sinful? Yes. This sort of puts an end to the question. Of course, there will always be someone, somewhere looking to punch holes into anything to justify the act of sin (porn is sex and sex is natural, people are “born” homosexual, recreational use of drugs calms people, there is no such thing as fornication, killing unborn babies is ok because they dont yet have a job, or some other nonsensical argument), but at the end of the day, wrong is wrong, sin is sin, and if you partake of a substance for the sake of feeling its intoxicants, i.e., to get high, it’s a sin.

One day, when folks don’t just physically grow up, but mentally and emotionally grow up, they will understand the arguments of their youth are filled with recklessness.

You're wrong, anybody can consume marijuana and not feel effects. Plenty of people I know didn't feel anything for the first time they tried it.

Then tell me, what was the point of consuming it if there were no effects. As I stated, if a person is consuming MJ, the purpose is to get high.

There are different levels of high. You can take 2 or 3 hits of a joint and have a similar effect to say, drinking 3 or 4 beers.

I wonder if God would accept this as an excuse. Actually, I already know He would not, but I ask for your benefit.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Allow me to make an attempt to clarify for those who do not understand where I am coming from. I have previously stated the difference between alcohol and marijuana is you can consume a certain amount of alcohol without feeling its affects or having those affects impair your motor and cognitive functions. As we all know, after that certain amount, you do feel its affect or have those affects impair your abilities. This is called drunkenness (or intoxication), which no one argues is a sin as it is explicitly called a sin within the Holy Scriptures.

Can the same be said for MJ? I say no. Why? Simple, I do not believe anyone can consume any amount which would not affect their physical or cognitive functions. If a person “could”, they would have to work very hard at it to make this the case, such as walking into a room with second hand smoke, suck it a very small amount, stop breathing and run out of the room and say, “Hey, look, I just breathed in some MJ and it didn’t do anything to me". Of course, this would be utterly ridiculous, but I know how some people think.

However, for the sake of discussion, let’s assume a miniscule portion of the human race can consume large amounts of this drug and experience absolutely nothing whatsoever. Now, again, for the sake of discussion, these folks have already consumed MJ, it did nothing for them, ask them if they would smoke MJ again. What do you think they would say? They would say no, because it did nothing for them. Sounds reasonable, yes? So, if it did nothing for them, no matter the amount consumed, what is the point of consuming it? There is none, so they would not. What does this tell you? It clearly shows people consume MJ for the result of its intoxicants, whether recreational or medicinal (yeah, right). So it would be fair to say people consume MJ for the intoxicants, yes? Otherwise, they would not consume it at all, especially in a recreational fashion. Now, if a person who is altered by the intoxicants of MJ ingests MJ, what happens? They get high, very quickly. Since this has been clarified, what is an intoxicated state? Drunkenness. Is Drunkenness sinful? Yes. This sort of puts an end to the question. Of course, there will always be someone, somewhere looking to punch holes into anything to justify the act of sin (porn is sex and sex is natural, people are “born” homosexual, recreational use of drugs calms people, there is no such thing as fornication, killing unborn babies is ok because they dont yet have a job, or some other nonsensical argument), but at the end of the day, wrong is wrong, sin is sin, and if you partake of a substance for the sake of feeling its intoxicants, i.e., to get high, it’s a sin.

One day, when folks don’t just physically grow up, but mentally and emotionally grow up, they will understand the arguments of their youth are filled with recklessness.

You're wrong, anybody can consume marijuana and not feel effects. Plenty of people I know didn't feel anything for the first time they tried it.

Then tell me, what was the point of consuming it if there were no effects. As I stated, if a person is consuming MJ, the purpose is to get high.

There are different levels of high. You can take 2 or 3 hits of a joint and have a similar effect to say, drinking 3 or 4 beers.

There are different "levels" of drunk, but they are all still drunk in the way your levels are all still high. Sin...

Allow me to make an attempt to clarify for those who do not understand where I am coming from. I have previously stated the difference between alcohol and marijuana is you can consume a certain amount of alcohol without feeling its affects or having those affects impair your motor and cognitive functions. As we all know, after that certain amount, you do feel its affect or have those affects impair your abilities. This is called drunkenness (or intoxication), which no one argues is a sin as it is explicitly called a sin within the Holy Scriptures.

Can the same be said for MJ? I say no. Why? Simple, I do not believe anyone can consume any amount which would not affect their physical or cognitive functions. If a person “could”, they would have to work very hard at it to make this the case, such as walking into a room with second hand smoke, suck it a very small amount, stop breathing and run out of the room and say, “Hey, look, I just breathed in some MJ and it didn’t do anything to me". Of course, this would be utterly ridiculous, but I know how some people think.

However, for the sake of discussion, let’s assume a miniscule portion of the human race can consume large amounts of this drug and experience absolutely nothing whatsoever. Now, again, for the sake of discussion, these folks have already consumed MJ, it did nothing for them, ask them if they would smoke MJ again. What do you think they would say? They would say no, because it did nothing for them. Sounds reasonable, yes? So, if it did nothing for them, no matter the amount consumed, what is the point of consuming it? There is none, so they would not. What does this tell you? It clearly shows people consume MJ for the result of its intoxicants, whether recreational or medicinal (yeah, right). So it would be fair to say people consume MJ for the intoxicants, yes? Otherwise, they would not consume it at all, especially in a recreational fashion. Now, if a person who is altered by the intoxicants of MJ ingests MJ, what happens? They get high, very quickly. Since this has been clarified, what is an intoxicated state? Drunkenness. Is Drunkenness sinful? Yes. This sort of puts an end to the question. Of course, there will always be someone, somewhere looking to punch holes into anything to justify the act of sin (porn is sex and sex is natural, people are “born” homosexual, recreational use of drugs calms people, there is no such thing as fornication, killing unborn babies is ok because they dont yet have a job, or some other nonsensical argument), but at the end of the day, wrong is wrong, sin is sin, and if you partake of a substance for the sake of feeling its intoxicants, i.e., to get high, it’s a sin.

One day, when folks don’t just physically grow up, but mentally and emotionally grow up, they will understand the arguments of their youth are filled with recklessness.

You're wrong, anybody can consume marijuana and not feel effects. Plenty of people I know didn't feel anything for the first time they tried it.

Then tell me, what was the point of consuming it if there were no effects. As I stated, if a person is consuming MJ, the purpose is to get high.

There are different levels of high. You can take 2 or 3 hits of a joint and have a similar effect to say, drinking 3 or 4 beers.

There are different "levels" of drunk, but they are all still drunk in the way your levels are all still high. Sin...

So at which point do the effects of alcohol change from "gladdening" to drunkenness?

Why search for an imaginary loophole when all you have to do is stop getting high or drunk.

You see, the difference between alcohol is a person (depending on that person) can enjoy a single drink over dinner without becoming a drunk. When you look at MJ, what would be the point (supposing it’s even possible) of inhaling less than the amount to get high? There is none. It doesn’t smell good, it doesn’t taste good, and the only purpose is to become high, period. No one smokes just enough NOT to get high as it serves no purpose and is a colossal waste of money. No one pulls their shades, locks the door, rolls a joint, lights said joint and takes one puff.

Again, I still say even one puff provides almost instant effects. I have had more than an adequate number of people confirm this. Looking for ways around something wrong in order to feel no guilt only does you harm.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Why declare everything a sin? Recreational marijuana consumption, occasionally and in places where it is not against the law, is not the end of the world and we should really concentrate on more important issues.

Why declare everything a sin? Recreational marijuana consumption, occasionally and in places where it is not against the law, is not the end of the world and we should really concentrate on more important issues.

I bet you say this about all the "little" sins. Everything is not a sin, but if something is sinful it should be declared as such rather than watered down and accepted. You know, like homosexuality today. Everyone with half the wits given a goat knows engaging in homosexuality is sinful, but we make excuses every day to say it is ok, normal, not a sin. Every sin is an important issue. Perhaps you missed the point of the Scriptures, Tradition and writings of the ECF's.

Kerdy I'm sorry but you don't have a leg to stand on as far as this issue is concerned. The argument that you can consume one drink of alcohol and not feel it while you cannot do the same with MJ is a false equivalency. Just because you do not perceive the effects of one drink of alcohol does not mean that that there are no effects. In fact you used the same argument earlier in this thread when someone claimed that they didn't feel any effects the first time they used MJ. Studies show to anyone with access to google scholar that even one drink of alcohol has an effect on cognition coordination and emotional state. There is no difference between moderate MJ use and moderate alcohol use as far as harm to the body is concerned. In fact it is very likely that moderate alcohol use is more harmfull than MJ. The effects of alcohol definitely cost society more than MJ. I know that for a fact as I have worked in an emergency room. Do you have any idea how many admissions we get from alcohol every weekend? In my time working in ER I have never even heard of an admission for MJ. You stated that I should think about it from a law enforcement prospective earlier but the only thing our prohibition on MJ does is funnel money to organized crime groups by allowing them to corner the black market. And I'm not even going to get into the windfall profits those lovely corporate executives in the private prison industry reap because of the draconian and ridiculous marijuana laws that exist in much of the country. Not to mention those that are punished the worst for using marijuana tend to poor black and brown youth. I think its also worth mentioning that moderate use of alcohol is linked to several cancers especially in women

The studies that I provided links for are not outliers. There is a strong correlation between alcohol and cancer. For you to claim that MJ is on the same level of harm as heroin or even alcohol as you have in a previous posts is laughable. You claim that anybody that thinks logically will agree with you and you accuse those that don't of being illogical but it is you that have abandoned logic and objectivity.

This is not to say that marijuana is totally benign. There are consequences to its use just like there are consequences to fast food and sunbathing. Furthermore this is the last time I will be addressing this thread as I came here to learn about orthodoxy and not argue with the ill informed about marijuana. Also it seems that there is no point in it as you are in the minority as far as your opinion goes here and probably the country at large. Unless you are very elderly or a terrible accident were to befall you, you will more than likely live to see marijuana legalized in all fifty states. Is marijuana a sin? Well I am not a theologian but if we are to compare it to alcohol then no it is not. I think I must also say you seem a bit judgemetal in the way you disagree with others. I can almost feel the bile anger and dare I say hatred coming from your posts on this subject. You might want to look into that.

Anyway I hold no ill feelings towards you God bless you and Good luck to you in your endevours.

In my time working in ER I have never even heard of an admission for MJ.

OK: From the blog of a Houston, TX psychiatric hospital

Quote

During my experience as a mental health nurse, I have seen a number of young adults who admit to the hospital with an extensive history of marijuana use. More times than not, they also present with psychotic symptoms. It got me thinking, “What comes first: the marijuana or the psychosis?” As I became more intrigued, I started to seek out my colleagues for their opinion, and as I did, it became clear that this version of “the chicken and the egg” is a hot topic in the mental health field.

Why declare everything a sin? Recreational marijuana consumption, occasionally and in places where it is not against the law, is not the end of the world and we should really concentrate on more important issues.

I bet you say this about all the "little" sins. Everything is not a sin, but if something is sinful it should be declared as such rather than watered down and accepted. You know, like homosexuality today. Everyone with half the wits given a goat knows engaging in homosexuality is sinful, but we make excuses every day to say it is ok, normal, not a sin. Every sin is an important issue. Perhaps you missed the point of the Scriptures, Tradition and writings of the ECF's.

Where in "the Scriptures, Tradition and writings of the ECF's" does it say marijuana is a sin? Disobeying state law is one thing, but marijuana in places where it is legal, such as Holland?

Why declare everything a sin? Recreational marijuana consumption, occasionally and in places where it is not against the law, is not the end of the world and we should really concentrate on more important issues.

I bet you say this about all the "little" sins. Everything is not a sin, but if something is sinful it should be declared as such rather than watered down and accepted. You know, like homosexuality today. Everyone with half the wits given a goat knows engaging in homosexuality is sinful, but we make excuses every day to say it is ok, normal, not a sin. Every sin is an important issue. Perhaps you missed the point of the Scriptures, Tradition and writings of the ECF's.

Where in "the Scriptures, Tradition and writings of the ECF's" does it say marijuana is a sin? Disobeying state law is one thing, but marijuana in places where it is legal, such as Holland?And what the heck does that have to do with homosexuality?

Gorazd, I think you will find that this is a frequent habit (tactic?) of those who believe marijuana is a sin. I personally believe it's because they are hard pressed to find anything from the ECFs or the saints about it being a sin. In addition they fail to grapple with why alcohol is not a sin when marijuana is. In place of such things which would give credit to their anti-marijuana stance, they bring up other issues that no one was debating against. So far we've seen them bring up pornography, abortion, divorce, heroin, drunk driving and prostitution.

Personally I find it subtly offensive, as if they are assuming that all those who don't think marijuana is a sin would naturally be pro abortion, pro-divorce, pro-heroin, etc., etc.

Logged

Love is not blind; that is the last thing that it is. Love is bound; and the more it is bound the less it is blind.

Maybe because "the Scriptures, Tradition and writings of the ECF's", according to some folks, also does not say homosexuality is a sin when they actually do state this clearly. People change it to fit what they want it to be, not what it really is. They purposely ignore the intent and play the cherry picking game. Nothing new.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Personally I find it subtly offensive, as if they are assuming that all those who don't think marijuana is a sin would naturally be pro abortion, pro-divorce, pro-heroin, etc., etc.

So, one drug to get high is ok, but not another? How in the world does that work?

Do you have any idea how sheltered you sound when you say things like this? This is the kind of school-yard approach to "drugs" that one typically finds only...well... in the school-yard. Lets see if your line of reasoning works in other areas:

Kerdy, I find it hypocritical that you are fine being Orthodox, and yet don't want to be a Muslim. After all, why is it okay to belong to one religion while thinking the other is bad? Both are religions that pray to God for salvation, yet you accept one and reject the other? How does that work?

Logged

Love is not blind; that is the last thing that it is. Love is bound; and the more it is bound the less it is blind.